ean Little’s most recent book, The Sweetest one of all, is a picture book for very young children and their parents. In it, barnyard animal babies ask their mothers who they are and each of them is told that he or she is the sweetest one of all. The book ends with a human mother telling her little one the same thing. And getting a loving hug in response. The playful text should continue to delight both children and adults even after many readings.

The colourful illustrations by Marisol Sarrazin are endearing and filled with lively detail. Each will hold small readers spellbound.

Jean Little

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ean Little is recognized throughout Canada and the United States for her candid and unsentimental portrayals of adolescent life. Once a teacher of handicapped children, Little herself is only partially sighted, and she uses much of her real-life experience as the basis for her books.

Introducing an omnibus of three classic Jean Little novels for six to nine year olds, gathered together in a beautiful volume. The perfect way to introduce young readers to the work of Jean Little, it also makes a wonderful gift for children who know and love her work already. The three books included are:

Different Dragons: Ben isn’t sure he wants to visit his Aunt Rose while his parents and older brother are away. He doesn’t like admitting it, but he’s afraid of a lot of things - dogs, thunderstorms, new places, new people. Aunt Rose turns out to be much nicer than Ben expected; but then she presents him with a birthday gift that terrifies him - a big Labrador retriever named Gully. How can Ben tell her he’s afraid even to be in the same room with Gully? And how can he tell Hana, his new friend?

One To Grow On: Janie Chisholm doesn’t really mean to tell lies. It’s just that sometimes her stories get out of control -- and Janie gets into trouble. No one in her family takes her seriously, and she’s not well liked at school. Then Janie meets Lisa, a pretty girl whose parents are celebrities. Lisa wants to be Janie’s friend, but it turns out that she tells lies, too -- and her lies hurt.

Lost and Found: When Lucy’s family moves to a new town just before school begins, Lucy is lonely and worried about whether she’ll make new friends. Then she meets a little dog that is friendly and may - or may not - be a stray. Her parents let her keep him until they find the owner, but Lucy, who calls him Trouble, begins to hope he has no owner. When she meets Nan, a girl who likes to play detective, they set out together to find Trouble’s owners.